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Even though there are plenty of hip hop purists that want to separate trap from rap, they will always be connected as trap is a sub-genre of rap. Trap music started to gain traction in the early 90s in Southern America; the signifiers of the trap style became an aggressive sound, and equally as aggressive lyrics which primarily focused on drug dealing and drug use.

Instrumentally, trap separated itself from hip hop with heavier basslines, faster time signatures, prominent 808s, layered synths, and for the more experimental trap artists, cinematic strings. Lyrically, trap artists were even more visceral in their rap bars about the inescapable gang and drug lifestyles (hence, trap) than the original gangster rappers. Atlanta became the capital of trap, while Ghetto Mafia, Goodie Mob, Outkast, Dungeon Family and Cool Breeze became the pioneers.

A decade after the inception of trap, artists such as Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Triple 6 Mafia and Young Jeezy started pushing the genre even further and allowing it to branch out into the diverse scene that it is today. Producers also had a pivotal role in the evolution of trap; the likes of Drumma Boy, Shawty Redd and Mike WiLL contributed to the contemporary trap sound that incorporates a dark atmosphere, street culture and a hard-hitting high-octane sound. At the turn of the century, trap not only dominated the airwaves, but it also became commonplace in strip clubs in the south too.

The first wave of trap broke into the mainstream in 2003 with the release of T.I.’s second studio album; it sold over 2 million copies and T.I. received a sync deal with EA sports. After his success, T.I. explained the motivation behind his career; to help people understand the actions of people that come from a less privileged side of life. A similar ethos is carried by the new generation of trap artists who are often misbranded as brash or crass when really, their music is reflective of their lives. In 2005, Young Jeezy entered the US Billboard Charts at number 2 after selling 172,000 copies of his album, Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101, in the week after its release. It later became a platinum record.

Fast forward to 2012; the trap scene started to merge with the EDM scene as producers and DJs started to weave trap styles into their dance mixes. Many are under the false impression that this was the beginning for trap, and it came along as some new millennial trend, but this is far from the case. In 2021, there are multiple trap sub-genres, even ones as far-reaching as trap metal. The most promising trappers to watch include the likes of Rico Nasty, Nayana Iz, Lil Uzi Vert and Waka Flaka Flame.

DEPRESSION by BULLYY GREY Refined Raw Self-Exposure Through A Cinematically Candid Dream Trap Spiral of Truth

Posted on 20 May 2026

BULLYY GREY captured the thickness of the malaise of depression with DEPRESSION, his latest heart-on-sleeve hit of melodic trap. From the prelude of tentatively delicate guitar strings resounding in an ethereal atmosphere, the single refuses to pull any punches as BULLYY GREY lays it all on the line and exposes the raw reality of depression.

The inertia demands that you remain in stasis under the black cloud, while the dreams you once held start to feel too heavy to carry adds to the weight of the track; DEPRESSION understands that state with bruising precision, letting its cinematically ambient indie dream-trap production open up like a room where the air has become difficult to breathe. Each switch-up serves to expose another raw nerve as BULLYY GREY attempts to find the light away from the swamp of sinking self-esteem.

There are contours of cloud rap through the curves of the production, yet the independent artist refuses to land cleanly in one given territory. He stays in his own lane by exploring the wider urban spectrum, pulling melodic vulnerability, trap pressure, ambient haze, and raw confession into a single emotionally loaded transmission.

DEPRESSION is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Interview: AntwanWonka Opened a Sugar-Rushed Trap Portal into Sobriety, Stage Nerves and Underground Permanence for antwan_nawtna

Posted on 20 May 2026

antwan_nawtna made an iconic return to A&R Factory with AntwanWonka, a surprise 4/20 EP that drips with candy-coated trap surrealism, cloud-rap looseness, 8-bit colour, and the kind of strange imagination that feels ripped from a Wonka tunnel after midnight. In this interview, he reflects on how Mango Flavoured Lips came together through dreamy beats, sticky-sweet memories, and city nights while opening up about the calmer headspace that separates this release from the darker circus-world of his previous album. He also speaks with raw honesty about his first live show, creative burnout, sobriety, underground promotion, future mixtape plans with Marek, possible collaborations, and the hard-earned certainty that his flag is planted for good.

Welcome back to A&R Factory, antwan_nawtna, it’s brilliant to have you here again, especially after AntwanWonka landed as a surprise 4/20 EP and pushed your universe into even stranger, sugar-rushed territory.

I just wanna start off by saying hello and thank you again for this opportunity, I truly do appreciate it.

A surprise 4/20 release already feels very on-brand for the playful eccentricity around your music. What made that date feel right for the EP, and how long had you been sitting on the idea before you dropped it?

It’s funny that you said it feels on-brand because Noble (my go to mixer) had said the same thing when we were discussing the effects & ideas for the other tracks, that each track sounded spot on for a 4/20 release date.

Everything kinda just happened fast when it came to the EP. Honestly, it was around the end of March going into April when everything started coming to fruition, so I wasn’t sitting on the idea that long. I had written Mango Flavoured Lips in a day, recorded it the next day and sent it out to get mixed; in-between that I was writing the other tracks as well, so everything was getting done day by day pretty much. I was gonna just release MFL as a single & then do the same with the other tracks, but it had been awhile since my last major drop (August 2025), so I figured just make an EP and drop it randomly.

What made the 4/20 date feel right was just the sound and vibes behind each track honestly. Each track just sounded dreamy and had this Wonka/Rainbow Road typa feel behind it; it just sounded 4/20 coded. From the start of the project you can just hear that “high” like sound on the EP. From Kirby Cup all the way to Dreamin, that sound is there from the jump; so, naturally 4/20 was hella more fitting in my eyes to release the project. To be honest, I don’t think it would have that same “magic” if I had released it on a regular Friday or any other day for that matter; again, that “Wonka World magic” just made what the EP is, and it just fit with the 4/20 vibe is… just dreamy and pure imagination.

Shoutout to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory for helping create this project; loved that movie since I was a kid.

Since our last interview, you’ve gone from the dark carnivalesque world of Cirque du Ghoul/Antwan’s Circus into this dreamier, trappier, more psychedelic AntwanWonka zone. What changed in your headspace between those two projects?

I think what changed this time around with this project is I just feel happy honestly, like my headspace is more clean and clear and everything was just flowing naturally. I also didn’t put too much pressure on myself this time around, like how I did with the album. When I was making Cirque du Ghoul/Antwan’s Circus, I was still navigating the whole sobriety stuff, was still trying to get my head and mindset right (which almost felt like an eternity, but it got done) was putting tremendous pressure on myself to “get better” and to just make that album fucking perfect; so there was just alot going on when it came to that album, whereas making AntwanWonka, I just felt very calm and relaxed; I wasn’t in my head too much, I wasn’t doubting myself, I wasn’t overthinking each track, I just wasn’t a big mess this time around, I’ll put it like that lmaoo. This time around everything just felt right and I was capitalizing on the moment basically; from the music itself to how I as a person was feeling too; again, everything felt right, so I was just taking advantage of the moment before it slipped away and I couldn’t recreate that feeling again. If you go back and listen to Cirque du Ghoul/Antwan’s Circus and then AntwanWonka you’ll definitely hear that huge difference in my headspace, no ifs ands or buts about it.

Mango Flavoured Lips feels like this 8-bit sugar rush with a woozy late-night glow running through it. What helped shape its surreal, game-lit atmosphere?

That’s such a sick description for Mango Flavoured Lips, hell yea man. There’s a few things that helped shape this track to become what you hear. The first and most important thing is what I was listening to when making this track; I was just listening to a lot of Thaiboy Digital, ThouxanbanFauni, dedwrite, and LUCKI; like those artist were just on heavy rotation when making the track and as well as the whole EP just because of the whole dream like cloud like rap essence in the music.

Another thing that helped shaped the track was just looking back to my 2021-2023 days,  when it was just bar hopping, drinking like crazy, endless substances, and so on; just going through old photos and videos, that way I can pull any ideas from whatever I had saw/did and make a song out of that. Mean also, I was going out as of recently and just being back in that space was somewhat interesting again; I had wrote some ideas in my notes and was saving them for new music, so somewhat of what you hear is coming from those little experiences; all that can be applied to the whole AntwanWonka project as well, not just to the track alone.

Also, I had based it off this one girl I can’t even lie lmfaooo. The beat off the bat is just hella dreamy, and when I look at this girl, it’s like looking at walking dream itself, you see where I’m goin here? She got like these different flavored lip glosses (Mango my favorite, as you can see) so, I figured why not make a track around it and name it after that flavor, plus it also has that antwan flavor to it, so it all just worked out real well in the end I gotta say.

Feels like I just rambled on, so to sum up the track, the idea just came from ‘Wonka

Nights”, endless music on replay, and a girl. SHOUT-OUT MAREK for the beat man!

The title AntwanWonka instantly suggests candy, distortion, imagination, and something a bit unhinged. What does that world represent for you creatively?

Shit, honestly it’s a love/hate relationship with that world truthfully; well because for starters I feel like there’s just endless ideas…. and that’s the thing, just endless ideas brewing 24/7, so I do my best to write everything into my notes or a notebook before I lose out on what could be a great song/project. It can become very tiring at times too because I think I try too hard to make these ideas very jaw-droppin, very out this world, while trying to make it realistic as possible and I just end up getting burnt out, and everything just spirals out from there; that’s why I write every idea down & organize them for future drops. It’s ironic cuz I just said I try too hard, and on the track Joe Montana I drop the line “I don’t even try hard”, I don’t know that’s kinda funny I guess.

Now the good thing about that world is the endless ideas that just always brew up constantly; now I know in the beginning it had sounded like I hated that, but as I mentioned from the jump as well, it’s a love/hate relationship. The constant ideas flowing around is such a blessing honestly because that just means nothing is ever a drought in my world; there’s music ideas that just need to get out and it’s my job as the artist to jot them down and make something out of em- mean shit, even if it ain’t mind-blowin or chart climbin, as long as that idea was brought to life that’s all that really matters to me man, just bringing the music to life. It also means ENDLESS creativity, no limits, no censorship- basically no holds barred, just doing what I feel like doing while also still keeping it real and personal like how I always envisioned it.

Also, it means making something people can escape to when life feels draining, just wanna feel up, or something relatable; my world got everything for everyone, I just don’t make the music for me, I try my best to throw some relatable in the music & if there’s a few that can relate to certain tracks or lyrics that’s fucking cool man, kinda brings me joy.

You’ve always had a knack for making hip-hop feel theatrical, strange, and emotionally raw. How do you decide when a song needs to lean into humour, darkness, softness, or full-on left-field energy?

Well there’s not really too many factors behind it; it all depends on how I’m feeling, how the beat is sounding, or what music I’ve been indulging in. With this EP I was just in a good headspace as I stated earlier, so it was nothing but pure good energy vibes, whereas with the album I was all over the place and that’s what you hear; it had the up-beat/go hard tracks in the beginning, then had the sad clown energy towards the end of it.

WordsFromCircusClown/2Hearts, Drugs Make The Circus Go Round/R.I.P A 2, and Shadow Gang x Ghoul Boyz,  are prime examples of that sad clown energy I just mentioned- those two tracks I was just opening up more on real life experiences & was just feeling depressed at the time, so I just had to capitalize on that moment and the final product of that is what you hear.

Kirby Cup, Left Right Left Right, Club Space, PLUS ULTRA, Oh Man, and Heavy Metal Chain (PLUS ULTRA 2) are examples of when I was in a good headspace and everything was just flowing at the right moment; I was just living live as the rockstar I was born to be; again, just had to capitalize on that energy before it was lost.

Dreamin, Joe Montana, and December Silver Chains are tracks when I’m just laid back and coasting honestly, I feel like Snoopy chilling on top of his dog house. I can sit here and say “it was the right moment and had to capitalize”, but I think the reader is already getting the point and knows where I’m gonna go with this.

It all circles back to what I said at the start, it all depends on how I’m feeling and how that beat is sounding; mean imagine Mango Flavoured Lips lyrics on the 2Hearts beat, it’d be somewhat wonky and just wouldn’t work well lmaoo. Also, another somewhat big factor that I didn’t mention yet is like if I been outside hanging out in the city- it plays a small part because that’s where some big ideas stem from.

You played your first show back in March. What was going through your head before you stepped on stage, and what did that performance teach you about your music?

A lot of emotions where just going through my head that day; during rehearsal it somewhat hit me a bit that this is actually happening, but not too much because the crowd wasn’t there yet, so I was calm; once they started to pile in one by one, I think that’s when the nerves started to creep in slowly, but I still wasn’t fazed; everything hit me all at once soon as Marek started performing, like “ah shit this is really fucking happening”. As soon as I stepped on to perform I was a nervous wreck I won’t lie, but I think as soon as the beat dropped from PLUS ULTRA I was in control of all those emotions. It was definitely a fun experience tho and I think for the next show I got a better lockdown and strategy on to calm the nervous before stepping on the stage.

That first performance just taught me that my music has had a lot of growth over the years; usually I play my own music when I’m at home or doing errands or whatever and I didn’t really hear it as much, but hearing everything live and over those loud speakers was honestly just ear-opening; I went home that night and re-listened to my whole discography again and I was just a little blown away by that growth. I mean shit, listening to AntwanWonka over and over again right now, I can hear it clear as day now, and that’s somewhat a win in my eyes, again, just hearing that growth is rewarding.

Looking back at everything since our first interview, what feels different about antwan_nawtna now, creatively, personally, or even in the way you move around the underground scene?

Truthfully, everything feels the same if I’m being honest, but the one thing that changed would just be my headspace honestly. I know I’ve mentioned that a bunch of times during this interview, but it’s the one thing that’s honestly been making a difference right now from what I can see and I’m just tryna enjoy that as much as I can before something happens and I’m back in the dumps feeling like that sound clown again & I just spiral out of control.

Creatively everything is still the same, I just write in my notes and go with the flow. I don’t try too hard to make a track, I just write the hook and take it from there; maybe throw on a movie, a show, or some wrestling PPV’S and see what inspo I can draw from either option. Also just doing wordsearches still when I feel like I’m getting writer’s-block, something to clear my mind; some meditation here and there when I feel like I overworked myself.

Moving around in the underground scene I still feel like I got a lot of work to do; I’m doing what I can to promote each track and each project, it’s just I gotta have more consistency with it because I start off good and then I just slowly fall back from it, and I’m not sure why. My main goal is just to post as many TikToks or Instagram Reels to make that mark in that scene, mean fuck man, they don’t even have to be Chirstopher Nolan level videos, as long as I post to get the people’s attention, that’s the main goal when it comes to this, and especially when trying to move in that Underground scene.

As far as the personal question goes, I really don’t have a complete answer for that; I’m still navigating & doing what I can to achieve personal goals when it comes to the music, but to answer that, I’ll just say, I want to have as much music out, just wanna up the numbers in my discography, and just continue to grow as an artist each project.

After AntwanWonka, your first show, and the new attention around the EP, what are you planning next, more releases, more shows, collaborations, or another strange new world entirely?

I’m currently working on the next project and it’s either gonna be a mixtape or the 2nd album, I’m just not sure which I’m leaning towards yet; maybe a few more singles and then I’ll just take everything from there. I’ll be real though, it’ll probably be the mixtape route because right now I’m working with rapper/producer Marek right now, he producedMango Flavoured Lips and the new single I dropped called Frisco Fitted (which is out now by the way, be sure to stream), so if I do the mixtape it’ll be exclusively produced by him.

I do wanna do another album no doubt about that, it’s just personally I feel I have to have something in the middle before I drop that 2nd album, so again, mixtapes, EP’s and just singles before that comes to light; also just wanna make sure me and the team are on the same page when it comes to production and ideas.

I’m always up for a collaboration with whoever, working with more artists is on my list fasho, whether it be someone from Chicago, or California, the only thing I would say is as long as we are on the same page , I really don’t care who it is. A collab project with my homie Vizzy is on the list, probably a lil EP or some just to pass the time, but right now just finding the right beats and then it’s time to rock n roll man.

I do wanna do a Cali typa style project, but that one is gonna take some time because I feel I have to go back out there for a few months or some just so I can capture that vibe and essence to a tee; I’m sure ohei8ht would be down to produce since we had talked about a collab project since 2015, so that is also on my list.

Another show is something I really wanna do again; when and where? That’s to be determined as of right now, but maybe something in the city on a weekend, shit maybe in the summer; I would have the same lineup from the first show tho, just maybe add like two more artists, but like I said, it’s to be determined as of right now.

There’s just a lot of things I wanna do this year as an artist, but I’m just gonna take my time and not rush anything; the main thing tho is just releasing music for the love of the game and making sure my headspace is in good health.

I’m just gonna keep doing what I’m doing; if people not down with that, then that’s tuff man. I’ve been doing this shit since I was 14, feel like I’ve been in the game for awhile and now I’m just starting to get somewhat of the recognition, that’s cool and all, and I’m grateful for that, but I just wanna say I’ve been kicked the door in, fixed it, and kicked it in again; what I’m saying is I’m here, flag is planted and I ain’t goin nowhere man. I built this from the ground up, a lot of blood sweat and tears was put into this, a lot of sleepless nights, lots of highs and lots of lows, etc etc; so I’ll be damned if I stop now; like I said, the flag is planted and I’m here to stay.

My bad if that sounded too aggressive or like I was mad, I can assure you I’m not; it’s just when it comes to the music, I just get real passionate about it.

Thank you once again for this wonderful opportunity, it’s always a pleasure working with the A&R Team.

Thank you!

–

Stream AntwanWonka on all major platforms, including Spotify, now

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Ïgor Gives Boom Bap Nostalgia a Sun-Kissed New Life in Lisboa Na Cabeça

Posted on 17 May 2026

Ïgor unleashed a monster of alt-rap euphoria with Lisboa Na Cabeça, a single that defines the anthemic vivaciousness of his seminal LP, The Curious Case of the Man in the Mirror. It swarms with sun-kissed kinetic rhythm as the independent artist pulls on his Portuguese roots and allows them to blossom in a track that gives hints of boom bap nostalgia a new lease of lust-filled life.

Ïgor has a distinct way of allowing cultural identity breathe through the beat instead of treating it as surface decoration in his discography, ensuring that the melodic rap phrasing glides with ease, while the laid-back, atmospheric production keeps the track suspended in a state of warm propulsion.

There is reflection in the tone, but the dominant feeling is liberation, desire, and movement, all stitched into a release that feels ready to spill from speakers across rooftops, parks, clubs, and long after-midnight car journeys.

Based in London, Ïgor has been building a sound rooted in Portuguese heritage, emotional vulnerability, and lifestyle-rich atmosphere. Through releases such as L.A.W (Love After War) and now Lisboa Na Cabeça, he opens up the wider world of The Curious Case of the Man in the Mirror, a project shaped by self-reflection, relationships, and identity.

It’s a lush pool-party playlist staple from one of the hottest underground architects of urban heat in the UK; festival stages should be screaming for his presence this summer

Lisboa Na Cabeça is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MackLordi – Lick That: A Sweat-Slick Hip-Pop Rush of Power, Filth and Temptation

Posted on 9 May 2026

MackLordi staked her claim as the most salacious siren in modern hip-hop with her latest track, Lick That, an urban pop genre blur that hits all the right dominantly empowered and divine spots while riding an old-school RnB hip-pop mash-up beat.

Veering leagues away from the gloss of over-polished production, the up-and-coming independent artist kept her sound aptly filthy, leaving scuzz on the bass hits, giving the track a grimy underground club energy that is infectious enough to replace Viagra.

There is a deliciously brazen command in the way MackLordi handles the beat, letting her presence smoulder through the low-end throb with the kind of authority that turns provocation into an art form. The hook lands with instant impact, the rhythm keeps the temperature climbing, and the whole release carries the sweat-slick confidence of a track built for after-hours speakers and shameless repeat plays.

There are flashes of early Lil’ Kim in the sexual self-possession, Khia in the raw club-floor bite, and a little of Doja Cat’s pop-minded playfulness in the genre fluidity, and pulling it all together is MackLordi’s irreplicable, carnal charisma and her refusal to work with anything but a wide-open sense of identity and appetite.

Lick That is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WickSun (R&R) by PaNaMa HoLLa Opens a Dark Trap Gateway into Hunger, Pressure and Bared Teeth Bars

Posted on 6 May 2026

Dark trap freestyler, PaNaMa HoLLa released his most menacing mix to date with WickSun (R&R).

The gentle piano loop filtering into a reverb-filled space sets a hauntingly disquieting atmosphere before PaNaMa HoLLa rolls in with his bared-teeth bars, snarling his way through the expansive production, which puts his measured-with-ferocity vocals front and centre, daring you to confront the visceral exposition of his hunger and determination.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what lies behind the façade of a fearless freestyler, WickSun is the ultimate gateway into an unreckonable talented mind. With PaNaMa HoLLa, cadence always precedes calculation, giving his bars an edge in the flattened wasteland of music of the freestyle scene. There’s a dangerous sense of immediacy riding through the undercurrent of the track; waves of tension refuse to break as pressure from the beat and delivery continue to tighten simultaneously.

PaNaMa HoLLa’s wider discography follows that same method, building songs from freestyle first and writing second, which explains why his work hits with such natural propulsion. As an independent artist with a PRO-registered catalogue and a growing reputation for writing with and for other artists, he is moving with the kind of leverage that comes from knowing exactly what he brings to the table.

WickSun (R&R) is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

antwan_nawtna’s Experimental Hip-Hop Fever Dream, Mango Flavoured Lips, Hits with an 8-Bit Sugar Rush

Posted on 3 May 2026

The irreplaceably one and only hip-hop titan of experimentalism, antwan_nawtna, has dropped his new EP, AntwanWonka, and if you thought you heard it all with his carnivalesque, quasi-macabre 2025 LP, Cirque du Ghoul/Antwan’s Circus, the EP will force you to adjust the parameters of your perceptions of the artist and his limitless eccentricity.

Drifting into a dreamier, trappier, more psychedelically lush palette with the standout single, Mango Flavoured Lips, the independent emissary of quirky urban alchemy found himself in 8-bit territory; the tones are bathed in a celestial glow, adding a sense of fantastical scintillation to the production, which draws to a close and leaves you feeling like you’ve just awoken from the most sugary fever dream known to man.

There is a narcotic softness to the atmosphere, but antwan_nawtna keeps the track strange, playful, and unmistakably left of centre, letting the synth tones glimmer while the rhythm rolls through with a woozy late-night gait. The way he bends hip-hop into something so surreal and game-lit gives Mango Flavoured Lips its own unruly magic. Based out of the South Eastside of Chicago, antwan_nawtna continues to prove that underground rap still has plenty of room for imagination, oddity, and fearless tonal mutation when it’s in the hands of someone willing to warp the frame.

Mango Flavoured Lips is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lil B’Shorty suspended ‘Favorite Girl’ cloud rap grief and reverb-heavy RnB sincerity

Posted on 18 April 2026

Lil B’Shorty dared to deliver an extended atmospheric prelude of reverb-heavy pensive piano notes in the age of the instant hook with his debut single, Favorite Girl, a synthesis of cloud rap and contemporary R&B, which paints the up-and-coming artist as an emissary of unfiltered sincerity.

Working in the space between alternative RnB, trap-soul and emotional storytelling, Lil B’Shorty has already started shaping a lane for himself through songs rooted in love, growth and the kind of late-night introspection that leaves nowhere to hide.

The slow-burn debut feels as intimate as a diary entry in its minimal post-production and the sheer force of candid romanticism. It draws you into the melancholia of grief as Lil B’Shorty keeps to the colder tones in the RnB kaleidoscope to hammer home the isolation tearing through the lyrics, which refuse to hide behind pretence.

There are shades of cloud rap’s suspended atmosphere running through the track, but the emotional directness keeps everything grounded in the sting of real absence. It is the sweetness of that vulnerability that gives Favorite Girl its ability to send shockwaves of resonance through you. It’s late-night headphone aural gold.

Favorite Girl is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Born Pessimist Twisted ‘Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead’ into Clockwork Baroque Theatre and Berserk Metalcore Visceralism

Posted on 11 April 2026

If no one has coined the dark cabaret trap metal genre before the drop of Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead, the honour has to go to Born Pessimist. The opening sequence turns as if operated by clockwork mechanisms, instilled with baroque theatricality; as the track progresses, the shadows over the production become more all-consuming as Born Pessimist’s bars start to sharpen their candid sting.

That delivery unravels into a frantically urgent outpour of stark truths until the single descends into industrial metalcore catharsis, running with the same feverish force as a juggernaut in berserk mode. Following the crescendo of ferocious metal motifs, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead digs into the melodiousness of neo-classical chamber trap, with the narrative driving the mix as you come face to face with mortality and reconcile with how death has nothing on the horror of life.

Across previous releases, from the industrial rap abrasion of Shock and Awe to the lo-fi acoustic desolation of This Sunless Space, Born Pessimist has kept pushing into harsher emotional terrain while widening the sonic frame. With Aluminum now in the works, this single lands like a vicious thesis statement for whatever comes next.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dead is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

‘Ghoulz 1 of 1 / Don Cheto Guzman’ Sends antwan_nawtna’s Dark Trap Signature Sound Further from Material Reality

Posted on 4 April 2026

antwan_nawtna is dominating the domain of dark, twisted trap, and Ghoulz 1 of 1 / Don Cheto Guzman, featuring Vizzy, is one of his most disarming drops to date. Hailing from Chicago’s underground, antwan_nawtna has the kind of presence that makes the fringes of trap feel far more vital than the centre, and this release only hardens that impression. Refusing to play by the arbitrary rules of urban instrumentals, the track opts for spacey synths, drifting the production into a cosmos of carnivalesque, mind-melting surrealism. From the outset, you’re thrown somewhere warped and oddly weightless, where the atmosphere carries as much force as the bars.

What gives the single its real bite is the way the vocals bleed into the production, serving as an aesthetic element in their own right, twisting the whole release into something far more immersive than a standard trap cut. antwan_nawtna asserts himself here as the ultimate rockstar of dark trap, while Vizzy locks into the mood without disturbing the hallucinated architecture of the track.

It all feels deeply deliberate, but still loose enough to keep that underground edge intact. If you’re looking for alt-rap escapism, you’d struggle to find a release capable of pushing you further away from material reality. Proper head-fry stuff.

Ghoulz 1 of 1 / Don Cheto Guzman is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Malak Shalom channelled outlaw swagger into the whiskey-soaked mood ofMalak Shalom became The Hip-Hop Wangler in his seminal single The Hip-Hop Wangler, a release that proved how vividly Americana imagery can mutate when it’s funnelled through the rhythmic snarl of hip-hop. The Western motifs remain intact, but they take on sharper shape through the conviction in his delivery. He channels the moodier edges of outlaw folklore through a mid-tempo beat fortified by its own atmosphere, letting a rough whiskey-soaked timbre seep into the vocal cadence. The twang isn’t ornamental; it’s weaponised, pushing the narrative forward as the track settles into its own swagger. The lyricism snaps with intent, carrying that sniping quality that gives the single its identity. There’s a grounded sense of self-mythology in his performance, not inflated, just rooted in the grit of lived experience. The Hip-Hop Wangler moves like a cinematic vignette, riding between worlds without losing footing in either. It’s a track that feels built for listeners who appreciate artists willing to twist genre boundaries into fresh shapes, pulling the listener into a landscape where cowboy folklore meets hip-hop’s rhythmic architecture. As a creator, Shalom has sharpened a reputation for sidestepping monotony. Under the Shavirus moniker, he’s carved out a distinct role as a disruptor of sonic conformity, driven by instinct rather than pressure to mimic whatever dominates the airwaves. The Hip-Hop Wangler amplifies that ethos. It’s a release with its own sense of rugged theatre, stitched with enough mood to anchor the narrative while leaving room for listeners to project their own outlaw fantasies onto the track. Hip-hop fans who crave character, colour and atmospheric weight will find plenty to latch onto here. The Hip-Hop Wangler is now available on all major streaming platforms Review by Amelia Vandergast The Hip-Hop Wangler

Posted on 2 March 2026

Malak Shalom became ‘The Hip-Hop Wangler’ in his seminal single, a release that proved how vividly Americana imagery can mutate when it’s funnelled through the rhythmic snarl of hip-hop. The Western motifs remain intact, but they take on sharper shape through the conviction in his delivery. He channels the moodier edges of outlaw folklore through a mid-tempo beat fortified by its own atmosphere, letting a rough whiskey-soaked timbre seep into the vocal cadence. The twang is weaponised, pushing the narrative forward as the track settles into its own swagger.

The lyricism snaps with volition, carrying that sniping quality that gives the single its identity. There’s a grounded sense of self-mythology in his performance, not inflated, just rooted in the grit of lived experience. The Hip-Hop Wangler moves like a cinematic vignette, riding between worlds without losing footing in either. It’s a track that feels built for listeners who appreciate artists willing to twist genre boundaries into fresh shapes, pulling the listener into a landscape where cowboy folklore meets hip-hop’s rhythmic architecture.

As a creator, Shalom has sharpened a reputation for sidestepping monotony. He’s created a distinct role as a disruptor of sonic conformity, driven by instinct rather than pressure to mimic whatever dominates the airwaves. The Hip-Hop Wangler amplifies that ethos. It’s a release with its own sense of rugged theatre, stitched with enough mood to anchor the narrative while leaving room for listeners to project their own outlaw fantasies onto the track. Hip-hop fans who crave character, colour and atmospheric weight will find plenty to latch onto here.

The Hip-Hop Wangler is now available on all major streaming platforms, including apple music. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast